Duminy's night out and Pollock's sweet revenge
Plays of the Day for the Group A match between South Africa and Bangladesh in Cape Town
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The only way is down
Everything started so well for Makhaya Ntini when he trapped
Nazimuddin lbw with his first ball, but the evening quickly took on a
less rosy complexion. Aftab Ahmed cracked the last three deliveries of
his first over for 6,6,4, charging down the pitch with utter disdain,
then nonchalantly flicking him over square. When his second over went
for 15, Ntini retired from the attack with two overs for 31 and
shaking his head at this Twenty20 lark.
Revenge is sweet
Between Ntini's two overs, Shaun Pollock was also on the receiving end
of some equally fierce shots. His second over was an extraordinary
affair as he removed Tamim Iqbal with the first ball before being sent
high over deep square-leg by Mohammad Ashraful. Another boundary
followed and Ashraful couldn't stop himself. Already with 10 off two
balls he tried to launch Pollock straight down the ground, only to
find Graeme Smith's safe hands. Pollock let Ashraful know who'd won
that little battle.
Home-boy heroics
Cape Cobras batsman JP Duminy beat Gulam Bodi to the race to replace
Herschelle Gibbs in the starting line-up. He showed his worth to the
side with two outstanding pieces of fielding as South African kept
their heads amid Bangladesh's flashing blades. He ran out Shakib Al
Hasan with a direct hit from mid-off, then held onto a stunning catch running backwards at extra cover to remove Mashrafe Mortaza. The huge crowd cheered on their hometown hero and a mass of South African flags waved around the ground, which continued with each graceful boundary he struck in his 36. He had a decent evening.
Give a big wave
The crowd created a fantastic atmosphere as the locals, probably still
savouring the previous night's rugby result, roared on their side.
Normally the sight of a Mexican wave at a ground is an indication that
proceedings have become a little dull, but on this occasion it was
just evidence that everyone was fully into the spirit of the game and
proved how much the country has taken hold of Twenty20.
Captain's innings
After taking a nasty blow on his hand against West Indies, Smith could have sat out this match if he wanted, with nothing at
stake, but he was determined to lead from the front. He began by
catching well, then played a controlled 41 off 34 balls to put
his team on course for victory. Smith might not be everyone's cup of
tea, but there is no denying that he is a determined and gutsy player.
Andrew McGlashan is a staff writer on Cricinfo
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